Southern California -- this just in

Body of missing corrections officer found in aqueduct

October 2, 2011 | 10:12
am

The body of a missing Palmdale man was found in the California Aqueduct.

Family members reported Thomas Hayes, a 51-year-old corrections officer, as missing Wednesday after a passerby found his dog sitting near a parked car by the aqueduct and called the number on the tag, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department statement.

Hayes frequently walked the dog on a path along the aqueduct and occasionally had to go into the water to get the dog out, relatives told authorities.

Deputies launched a search for Hayes, and divers scoured the aqueduct. Deputies found his body at a pumping station about 30 miles south of where his car had been found.

Sheriff's Department officials, saying there was no evidence of foul play, said they believe Hayes accidentally drowned, but are awaiting a determination by the coroner of the cause of death.